Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh has appealed for medical teams to assist the Red2Green walkers trekking from Kuantan to Parliament to protest bauxite mining in Pahang, as they will be especially exposed to the extreme heat predicted to occur during the solar equinox tomorrow.
“Based on my concern, I call out and appeal to all Malaysians especially doctors and paramedics to come forward to assist these fighters for the rakyat. This is so that there can be proper medical observation from trained personnel for the walkers in their journey,” she said in a statement.
Fuziah, who chairs the anti-bauxite mining action committee, said that she was worried that the walkers, many of whom are senior citizens, may suffer from heat stroke as they continue their trudge on the day of the equinox.
She noted that this is especially so, as the walkers are now in the Lanchang area where temperatures can reach 43 degrees Celsius.
Authorities have warned that temperatures may rise a few degrees from normal and the public have been advise to seek shade, avoid strenuous physical activity and drink more water, as there may be danger of heat stroke due to the increased temperatures.
Fuziah ended her appeal with the plea that the walkers are on a humanitarian mission to help Kuantan residents who suffered from the unrestrained bauxite mining, adding that the same can happen anywhere if it is not protested and that this is a fight for all Malaysians.
Currently about 11 participants of the Red2Green anti-bauxite walk are still on the journey from Kuantan to Parliament House in Kuala Lumpur. They started out with about 30 people in the group.
Having started the 254km journey on March 12 in a bid to highlight their dissatisfaction over the unresolved problems in Pahang’s bauxite mining, the group is on Day 8 of their 17-day walk.
The odyssey will end at the Parliament building on March 28, when the participants will hand over their memorandum to the parliamentarians.
Kuantan suffered heavy pollution after a surge in bauxite mining with red dust choking the town and surrounding areas, even the turning the seas and rivers red in some areas. This has led to a public outcry and protests.
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